You're Still My Brother
by vertigoSWAY
Summary: /Future fic/ This is the last night, when it all ends, and Dean must risk everything to snap his brother back into reality, even if it costs him his life.


**I'm not that big of a Supernatural fan. I watch it on and off just for the heck of it, but I was watching the end of Ep 9 in Season 5 and thought back to the episode "The End," and that's where this fic came from. Sorry about any plot holes. I haven't really viewed the whole series. I've only read synopsises.**

**Mentions of Becky, Chuck, Barnes and Demein, mostly because it was inspired by the episode they were all in.**

* * *

The candle in the room flickers as a way of showing that the enemy is approaching. Everyone is huddled around the candlelight, armed with holy water. The doors and windows have been thoroughly salted. Nevertheless, the survivors know that their weapons will not save them. The only thing that can destroy their adversary is the Colt –but Dean refuses to even use it. He doesn't even let anyone else touch it.

What Dean won't tell them is that the Colt cannot kill Lucifer.

Among the survivors are Chuck, Becky, Barnes and Demein. Others include Supernatural book fans, who never thought that all this was real. The rest are just people lucky enough to escape with their lives.

The candle flickers again. They can _feel_ the Devil nearing.

Dean calms everyone down and tells them his life story. He talks about his mother's death, his childhood growing up with Sam, how dad was always out hunting –leaving the two boys alone-, going to hell, releasing the seal. He talks about losing his brother, who everyone thought was dead.

Sure he was.

Sure…

Dean goes on to explain how this moment wasn't supposed to happen. He explains meeting his future self, who died on a suicide mission to destroy Lucifer. But since he knows what would have happened, he can change it. Parts of it. He can save more people. Dean leaves out the part about the Devil's vessel though.

The candle flickers wildly. People gasp and Dean sets his Colt on the table. It is armed with one last bullet.

"This ends tonight," the Winchester brother says. Looking up he adds, "Isn't that right Castiel?"

The people turn to see the angel leaning against the wall. He was not there before. Castiel does not appear particularly happy. For years he's been getting it the worst at Dean's refusal to consent for Michael. They both know if Dean says yes, the world will really end. Castiel disapproves of Dean's plan but he does nothing to stop him. It is the only way. "Yes," he replies curtly.

Dean stands up and heads for the salted front door. Barnes and Demein immediately stop him right before he reaches for the doorknob. "You can't go out there!" the tall, skinny man –Barnes- hisses.

"I have to."

"You're going to go to Hell if he gets to you!"

"Been there. Done that."

"Dean-"

"Take the Colt," Dean orders. "Whatever happens, don't come out there unless I'm dead. Is that understood?" The two other men nod. Dean looks down at the white mineral framing the door. "And resalt the door."

Demein runs off for the gun as Barnes whispers quietly. "Do you know him?"

Dean's normally composed and stoic face flickers in hurt and pain for the briefest moment. "Unfortunately or fortunately, I do."

Demein returns and salts the door right after Dean steps outside. A figure rooms in the distance. "Hello Sam," Dean calls out.

Barnes and Demein freeze at the mention of the younger Winchester's name.

"Been a while hasn't it? You know Sam, you always gave me hell when we were going up. _You _were the one dad liked. All smart and geeky. He didn't have to worry about you up and going to get yourself killed in a hunt now did he? Of course, that's what it felt like. What did we know about demons back then?"

The figure continues to approach.

"But you know Sam," Dean continues, "despite the real pain the ass you can be, you're still you. Some psychobitch fallen archangel demon ruler might be in you, but you're still Sam Winchester –son of John and Mary, brother to me."

The two men watch from inside the house. "Is that-" Barnes begins to ask.

"Sam?" The couple turns around and sees Castiel. "Yes. It is."

"Dean's gonna get slaughtered out there," Demein mutters.

"You once told Dean that-"

Demein realizes where the angel is going with this. "Yes I know what I said, but Sam is _dead_."

Castiel shakes his head. "No. He was tempted and threatened. And he gave in. Sam is the only one strong enough to contain Lucifer and now Lucifer's is using him to destroy the only thing that can destroy him."

"The Colt?"

"The Colt?" Castiel exclaims. "That weapon is useless." The two men gape. But Dean had convinced them all that… "No," Castiel sighs. "He's after Dean –Michael's vessel."

"Michael the Archangel?" Castiel nods in return.

"You're still my brother Sam," Dean reiterates. Lucifer is dangerously close. "You're in the somewhere little bro." Dean snickers. "You always did hate it when I called you that." Dean winces as a sudden pain shoots up his right leg. A newly formed cut appears as blood flows out rapidly. "You're still there." The words take more effort to say as the loss of blood makes Dean dizzy.

"All the times that we were out there…" Dean trails off. Lucifer is just one yard from him. "When we were out hunting and getting down to the bottom of this, there were times when I would trade places with you in a heartbeat to get you out of the pain. Remember the detox in Bobby's Panic Room? I went out and prayed Sam. I hadn't done that since I was a little boy."

Lucifer grabs him by the throat and pushes Dean up against the trunk of a tree. Dean holds on though. He's not going to die. Not yet. Not until he says what he needs to say. "Sam. After all that stupidity you did, those asshole decisions…" He can barely talk. He feels the life leaving him already. Blood squirts from his neck, staining Lucifer –_Sam's_- hands. Dean looks into his brother's eyes. They are completely black but he envisions them as they were before, full of life. Taking one last final breath, he manages to utter, "I still love you little bro."

That was all it took for Sam to snap back to his senses. To regain control for precious moments. He stares at his hands, tainted with blood. The blood of his brother. He looks in front of him at the lifeless corpse of Dean and he can barely speak. What has he done?

Barnes and Demein barge out of the house. Demein has the Colt in his hands. Sam, still Sam, stares at the round man pleadingly. "Please," he begs. "Just shoot."

"But it can't kill you," the man argues. He doesn't want a life of someone else on his hands.

"Yes it can," Sam assures. "I'm pushing him back. Just shoot before it's too late!"

Demein thought he had the courage to pull the trigger, but he doesn't. "I can't…" he falters.

"SHOOT!" screams Sam. His face is covered with his tears at the shock of realizing he's just killed his own brother. "JUST HURRY UP AND SHOOT ME!"

The Colt disappears from Demein's hands as Castiel suddenly appears, aiming it with one hand. The sky crackles and Barnes swears he sees silhouettes of wings from the angel's back.

"Castiel," Sam says. It is a simple plea for him to pull the trigger.

The angel does not reply but continues to state passively.

"Please," Sam whispers. It's almost impossible to hear him. "Just kill me and it'll kill him."

Castiel does not want to shoot, but Dean had made him swear that if this was what it came down to, then he could pull the trigger. They both had known that Lucifer could only be destroyed if Sam was in control when the gun was fired. Dean refused to ever be the one to fire the shot and pressured Castiel into taking the job –if all else failed. Dean did not want the blood of his brother on his hands. "Goodbye Sam," he says with a hint of sorrow in his voice.

A deafening crack is heard in the night. Sam falls to the ground, a bullet in his heart.

Lucifer emerges as a black swirling mass. As soon as the sunlight hits him, he vaporizes. He's not dead –not yet. Just crippled for eons.

The sunlight comes up that next morning. Dean and Sam's bodies have been buried next to each other. There are not materials for tombstones so the graves are marked with wooden crosses. Castiel blesses them both and Dean's survivors seek out others and then begin to rebuild…

In honor of Sam and Dean Winchester –who died to save the world.


End file.
